Darkening Horizons
by Kesshi Mashin
Summary: A moment's hesitation and a lesson learned long ago can change everything...
1. Murmurs

Darkening Horizons

by: Kesshi Mashin

A Rurouni Kenshin AU.

For entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended. [insert more legal jargon here.]

* *: thoughts

Prologue: Murmurs

"Confess yourself to heaven, Repent what's past, avoid what is to come."

~ Shakespeare, 'Hamlet,' III,iv,150

... It was simple work to dispatch of the would-be assassin. The black garbed man slumped heavily against the blade protruding from between his shoulder blades, blood already spraying every which way in a gory display of red. His eyes were still wide in surprise, facial features frozen in a mask of pure, agonizing pain. The corpse was roughly extricated from off the katana impaling it, and collapsed onto the hard dirt ground with a dull thud. The light drizzle served to wash away a few of the lighter crimson stains splattered about his still body, but only darkened the now purplish stain where the sword had exited his body in that last, decisive blow that claimed his life. It was all over within the span of two minutes.

Breathing rather heavily in exertion, Kenshin carefully rolled over his assailant's body with a light nudge from his toe and looked over the facial features, in the off-chance that he knew the person, before a light gasp drew his attention. His head snapped up in a second, and amber eyes spied a lithe young woman standing a few yards away, her white kimono stained with the blood of his latest kill. Her eyes were wide in fear, and she stood there for a few precious seconds, not making any attempts to flee from the horrific sight before her, merely settling for staring at the crimson-haired Battousai. *Leave no witnesses.* Kenshin felt only the slightest bit of reluctance as he suddenly surged forward towards the girl, katana drawn back for one quick strike at her-

A momentary bright flash of white light stopped the assassin in his tracks, and he blinked rapidly in confusion before finding himself standing before the doll-like woman; her movements were becoming increasingly listless, suggesting that she was drunk. *If she's drunk, then maybe she wouldn't remember any of this.* Kenshin watched in a detached manner, as the lady fell against his chest, murmuring something softly to herself as unconsciousness overtook her. 

"You... you made the bloody rain fall..."

With that, she slumped against the Battousai's body, her knees giving way as the woman fell asleep in Kenshin's arms. The amber eyed assassin stared down at the pale woman resting in a seemingly peaceful manner against his blood soaked hakama, indecision plaguing his mind; the young Battousai was at a loss over what to do. He stood there a few minutes longer, as the light rain escalated into a moderate downpour, mulling over what to do with the girl.

After much thought, Kenshin carefully lifted the girl and walked towards one of the nearby inns, with her limp body cradled in his arms. Setting the slumbering woman under a nearby overhang to protect her against the pouring rain, he began to raise a hand to knock against the wooden door before he heard it. It was faint, and barely audible above the sound of rain pelting against the wooden shelter overhead, but the Battousai heard it nonetheless. He slowly lowered his hand and turned to face the still sleeping woman. She was talking softly in her sleep, eyes still closed and flickering rapidly about, back and forth, a dream playing itself over within her mind's eye.

"... the bloody rain... amber eyes..."

Kenshin stood there for what seemed like an eternity, lean frame tensed as brilliant yellow eyes stared, fixated upon the woman, seemingly willing her soft murmurings to cease through their sheer intensity alone. After a long pause, the crimson haired assassin slowly reached for the wakizashi at his side, drawing the short blade from out of its sheath. He eyed the gleaming metal, eyes idly looking the edge over for any signs of dulling, before placing the tip at the young girl's throat. Resolute in his decision, the Battousai tightened his grip on the short sword's hilt, and drew the blade slowly across her neck...

~~~~~ ~~~~~

End Prologue

Author's Note: I hope that one small change to the Kenshin time-line (well, so far) was enough to pique your interest. This was all written on a whim, with no real planning ahead of time; it was one of those things that refused to stay buried in my mind's eye for very long, and demanded to be written. ^_^ All my stories start out like that... I'm sure this concept has been done repeatedly over the years; fortunately (or unfortunately), I have not had the pleasure of reading too many RK fics over the years (dang Ranma fics, taking up all my time), and so have not read a fic that resembles this one in the least. So I can honestly say that I am not merely beating an old idea to death... at least, not on purpose. ^^;; It's all original to me!   
For those wondering about my rather less-than-exact retelling of this particular scene (the flames, the flames!), chalk it all up to creative license. That's right, whenever something doesn't seem right, or it's out of place, blame it on that annoying creative license. Besides, if you wanted a precise retelling of the story, watch the OAV (even that's not exact!) or read the manga. ^_~ Ja peoples!

~ Kess

P.S. ~ I've seen a few authors randomly throw this in, so I thought, why not. This little segment was written while listening to the music stylings of Megumi Hayashibara and Utada Hikaru, although I mostly skipped over the fast-paced songs; I find that listening to soothing, soft slow songs gets my creative juices flowing the best. Well, that, or I don't listen to music at all, but where's the fun in that? Erm, I'm rambling... ^^;;


	2. The First Night

Darkening Horizons

by: Kesshi Mashin

A Rurouni Kenshin AU.

For entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended. [insert more legal jargon here.]

* *: thoughts

The First Night

Nights of misery are apportioned to me.

~ Bible, 'Job' 7:3, RSV

... Her eyes had opened at the last second, staring in accusation at the bewildered assassin; even as the life left her eyes, a faint flicker of intelligence and something more endured on for what seemed like an eternity within those glassy orbs. It was the eyes that bothered Kenshin the most. Filled with hatred and resentment, not in the least dimmed by fear... those disturbing brown eyes stared back at him. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~

He stared down at the dark concoction in his hands, watching as the wisps of steam floated lazily upwards towards one of the paper lanterns that hung suspended about the rafters. The tavern was one of only a few that stayed open so late into the night in that part of the city; it was a place of ill-repute, frequented by drifters and the various other dregs of society. Amber eyes took in the patrons scattered about the seedy bar, before returning to stare at the cup of sake sitting idle in his grasp.

... Murderer...

The sound had caught the assassin off-guard, and at first he had stared in horror at his victim's lips, believing for a second that they had moved in death. The very thought shook the Battousai to his very core; images of the of the dead woman came unbidden to his mind's eye, images of her corpse uttering barely discernible accusations, those large glassy eyes staring up into his...

The by then luke-warm sake went down in a single gulp, and Kenshin slammed the porcelain cup onto the table, cracking the delicate material ever so slightly. He had broken out into a slight sweat at the recollection, his heartbeat racing and his breath short. The burning sensation of the drink winding down his throat had served to shock him from his thoughts, though the image of the eyes still lingered at the edges of his consciousness.

His actions had drawn an audience, and Kenshin peered up through a mess of crimson bangs at his observers, piercing yellow eyes staring down the curious rabble. Turn around, he muttered to those still looking on, feeling his body begin to tense in anticipation. Fortunately for the onlookers, they heeded his warning and resumed nursing their drinks, only daring to cast quick peeks at the brooding redhead.

He faintly registered a cracking noise, and looked down at the cup, now shards of porcelain, in his grasp. His callused hands still felt the tiniest pricklings of pain from where a few of the larger pieces had embedded themselves into his palm, but the Battousai paid his wounds no heed. He reached over and retrieved himself another cup, and slowly poured himself another round. Pausing only to pick out the bits of porcelain from his hand, Kenshin retrieved the new cup of sake and brought it to his nose. The smell was somewhat unpleasant, but after a moment's hesitation, he still drank the heated liquor, face devoid of any emotion as he sipped upon the foul brew.

The red-haired assassin carefully set his cup down upon the wooden table, and turned his gaze out towards the dark night sky. The rain had not yet let up, and the streets were slick with water, making walking something of a hazard for those still out and about at that late hour. But Kenshin's thoughts were elsewhere, the distant look in his eyes belying his seemingly focused, calculating demeanor... 

~~~~~ ~~~~~

earlier that night...

... He had allowed his wakizashi to slip from his grasp, the short sword clattering noisily onto the stone pavement as he stared at the corpse lying sprawled on the doorstep. Her mouth hung agape, and a thin line of blood escaped her open maw. Blood began to pool at the base of her neck, the life fluid seeping out of the wound on her neck in rather copious amounts. And those eyes...

*Fatigue.* The assassin stood there in the rain, mentally berating himself for even humoring the idea that the woman had spoken to him. In all likelihood, it had been the wind that had seemingly whispered the word into Kenshin's ear. Though the slightest traces of doubt still clouded his features, the assassin thought no more of it, and retrieved his sword, flicking off the water that had gathered in small beads on the tempered steel before resheathing it.

As an afterthought, Kenshin reached out with one hand and gently closed his victim's mouth, idly wiping away the thin line of spittle and blood dripping down the side of her face. Faltering for only a moment, he then reached up and closed her eyelids; rummaging about in his pockets, he retrieved a couple of coins and placed them onto the eyes, to act as weights to ensure that they wouldn't suddenly open wide, as though she were still able to.

The rain had begun to intensify at that moment, and the assassin, sparing one last look back at the corpse, dashed off in search of cover, his heart still racing despite all of his reassurances...

~~~~~ ~~~~~

... After some time had passed and the rain had ended, Kenshin stood and gathered together his things, setting his money down upon the table as he made his way to the exit. He left the rest of the sake to cool, not wishing to drink anymore of the liquor. Thoughts of Hiko made their way to the forefront of his mind, and Kenshin growled in annoyance.

The sake had left a bitter aftertaste...

~~~~~ ~~~~~

End of Installment 1

Author's Note: Wow, only about a month in-between updates for this. ^^;; Sad to say, that was probably my fastest update. Well, like I said before, this was written on a whim, with no real planning beforehand. I hope I made the right decision by trying to take the psychological path in this story. It's a bit short, but I said what I wanted to say in it, so I'm happy. Hopefully, the Second Night will be out pretty soon; writer's block, or Bob (that blasted lil bugger), has elected to keep me company during this mid-term week. -_- I'm hoping to clear him out by week's end, though. Anywho, it seems that all I'm capable of working on right now is this lil ficcy and my other soon to be posted RK ficcy, Atonement. I'm not complaining, mind you, but I had hoped to be able to finish chapter 6 of Waters of Change for a long time now. Ah well, maybe later. Hope you enjoyed reading this, and please, feel free to read my other stuff. I hear they ain't half bad... ^_^ Shameless, ain't I? Ja peoples.

~ Kess

Written to the musical stylings of Faye Wong.


	3. The Second Night

Darkening Horizons

by: Kesshi Mashin

A Rurouni Kenshin AU.

For entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended. [insert more legal jargon here.]

* *: thoughts

The Second Night

In spring, cherry blossoms by night. In summer, the stars. In autumn, the full moon. In winter, the snow. These are always enough to make sake delicious. If it tastes bad, that's proof that there's something sick inside you.

~ Hiko

... It looks like you haven't even touched your sake. Iizuka sat opposite the amber eyed assassin, and spotted the empty cup sitting next to the pot. May I...? Getting no response from the stoic redhead, he shrugged and reached for the cup.

A gloved hand snapped out and grasped Iizuka's outstretched arm, stopping his hand short. Her name, Kenshin ground out, purposely applying pressure to the wrist in his hand. I didn't call you here for a drink. He relinquished his grip when he noticed the pained look on Iizuka's face, and began to pour his comrade some sake. I'm sorry, he murmured under his breath, his red hair acting as a curtain, shielding his eyes from sight.

Iizuka gingerly rubbed his wrist, wincing slightly as he felt something pop back into place, but managed to bite his tongue when his eyes fell upon the sheathed blades lying in his companion's lap. The sight alone was enough to clear away any suicidal thoughts he had been harboring in his mind, such as striking the Battousai for his transgression. Somewhat nervously, Iizuka accepted the proffered cup, taking time to inhale the sake's sweet aroma before taking a sip. A sigh escaped his lips, and the Inshin shishi operative clucked his tongue in appreciation. Quality sake, if I ever tasted it. He took another sip, and smiled at the pleasant taste. Very much so.

I wouldn't know. Kenshin leaned forward onto the wooden table, resting his elbows onto the wooden surface as he stared intently at Iizuka. Now, I asked for a name.

His amber eyes were bloodshot, and Iizuka finally noticed the dark circles beneath the assassin's eyes, contrasting sharply with Kenshin's somewhat fair features. You haven't been getting enough sleep, Himura-san, Iizuka commented after a pause, slowly pouring himself another cup. Katsura-san told me you were suffering from insom-

Kenshin slammed his fist against the table, rattling both the tea set and Iizuka's nerves. A name. 

Not wishing to incur the Battousai's wrath, Iizuka quickly began fishing through one of his hakama's pockets, and, after a moment's rummaging, came up with a neatly folded slip of paper. It's a shame she saw you that night. Iizuka shook his head in disappointment, as he handed the note over to Kenshin, who shakily extended a hand to retrieve it. She was quite the looker, that one was.

He quickly unfolded the slip of paper, and read the script written onto the small sheet in nearly illegible handwriting. He read it once more before quickly crumpling the paper and shoving it into a pocket. Thank you, Kenshin said, nodding towards Iizuka as he stood and tucked his swords back into place. Did you find out anything else?

Iizuka replied, shaking his head softly after taking a moment out to think it over. All we got was a name. He started as Kenshin began walking towards the exit at a brisk clip, and quickly grabbed a sleeve, halting the redhead's departure. Hey, you're not staying for drinks?

Kenshin, making a point to look down at the hand restricting his movement, cowed Iizuka into relinquishing his hold. I have more pressing matters to attend to, he said simply, before continuing on out into the brisk cold night...

~~~~~ ~~~~~

Finally, those dead eyes had a name. The Hitokiri reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper, eyeing it as though it were a precious gem. His victim had a name. Stepping to one side so that he could utilize the light from a nearby lantern, Kenshin unfurled the paper and gave it one last look, before tucking it away for safe-keeping.

For two nights now, her ghastly image plagued his mind's eye, allowing him no rest or reprieve; for two nights now, Kenshin had frequented the various taverns scattered about the city, brooding silently to himself as he sipped upon bitter sake. For two nights now.

His demon had a name now, and, though Kenshin was at a loss for what to do now, he was at least comforted by that small fact.

His victim had a name.

Yukishiro Tomoe.

~~~~~ ~~~~~

End of Installment 2

Author's Note: Another month, another small installment. I guess It's become something of a ritual now, huh? Well, sad to say, but I'm still working on chapter 6 of Waters of Change; it's substantially longer than my norm, and with more descriptive detail and whatnot. I hope that it turns out half-way decent. Ah well... Atonement is coming along at a somewhat staggered clip, but the first chapter will be out within.... a month or so. ^^;; I'm really bad with dates.

I hope that you enjoyed your read so far. As for minor flubs and grammatical mistakes, well... *shrugs* Sorry about that. I'll get around to fixing them if you point them out, aight? ^_^ It never hurts to help...

Hmm, seems as though my little side-project-written-on-a-whim fic has attracted the attention of a rather note-worthy RK author. Thank you for the review, Linay-sama! *waves* .... erm, why am I waving again? Aheh... heheh.....

Well, this is Kess, aka Matsuro, formerly known as FXffects, formerly known as Drax, formerly known as F... gawd dammit, I went by a lot of aliases back in the day... Maybe I should start lookin for a nice symbol now, neh? The Writer Formerly Known as........ *laughs, shakes head* Ja, peoples.

~ Kess

Matsuro: *peers out window* That looks like a lot more than 2 feet...

Kess: Oy, Matsu-chan, I'm going to Ann's! 

Matsuro: Hey, baka, don't-

Kess: Huh? *opens door* !!! Aah!!! *buried by avalanche of snow* Mmmff...

Matsuro: -_-;; Dumbass.... *turns to reader* Well, this fic was written to the musical stylings of Staind. Don't be a stranger, alright?


	4. Silent Musings

Darkening Horizons

by: Kesshi Mashin

A Rurouni Kenshin AU.

For entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended. [insert more legal jargon here.]

* *: thoughts

Silent Musings: An Interlude

Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace tonight.

~ Shakespeare, 'Julius Caesar,' II,ii,1 

... Wisps of breath issued from his flaired nostrils, as the Battousai shrugged off his outer coat and slowly stepped out from the darkened alleyway, head lowered so that his eyes were concealed from view. His hushed tones couldn't hide the steel in his voice, and without a second's thought, Kenshin widened his stance and lowered a hand to his sword pommel, breath still rising to the night's sky in heavy clouds. He heard more than saw one of the escorts draw their sword, and, without a second's hesitation, the red-haired assassin flew forward in a flurry of motion, his katana silently dealing death with every stroke...

~~~~~ ~~~~~

Who are you? The question had tormented Kenshin for nights on end, ever since that fateful meeting. Gripped within the throes of insomnia, he had prowled about the city, searching for a way to forget, a way to soothe his uneasy mind. He had found the cure, not at the bottom of a cup of sake, nor in the embrace of a loose woman, but rather in a set of hastily scrawled kanji on a weathered piece of paper. Her name.

Yukishiro Tomoe.

Kenshin had managed to slip in a few hours of rest the night before, the knowledge of his victim's name affording him some small measure of comfort. Why, he couldn't readily say. Never before had he been so plagued, so shaken by the memory of an assignment that sleep managed to elude him for days because of it. The very idea seemed strange to the amber eyed assassin, and yet that was exactly what had been happening to him those past few nights. 

Attempts to rationalize his unease all fell short in his mind. She surely wasn't the first woman he had killed; although unpleasant, the Battousai recognized the danger which witnesses to assassinations posed, and many a woman had been unfortunate enough to observe one of his assignments. None had lived to tell the tale.

The method in which she had been dispatched didn't strike Kenshin as odd or gruesome in the least, when compared to the various other creative ways in which Kenshin dispatched of his targets. Hers was a rather mundane affair, not involving much in the way of excessive gore or other such unpleasantries. He had long ago been desensitized to such sights anyhow; his line of work, after all, required some measure of tolerance for blood and death.

The only plausible explanation was the eyes. Those defiant eyes, hate-filled eyes, unafraid of anything, least of all the Battousai. It was the eyes...

The sound of sandals against cobblestone startled Kenshin out of his brief reverie, and served to remind him of the task at hand. Struggling to push aside images of her accusing eyes, the crimson haired assassin shrugged off his outer coat, and stepped out from within the shadows. A new name came to mind, a name he remembered from that morning, and with a steady stride, Kenshin stepped in front of the small band of men, fluidly flowing into a ready stance as he called out his next victim's name.

Despite it all, he still had a job to do...

~~~~~ ~~~~~

End of Interlude

Author's Note: Well, there you go, the next bit. Sorry about the huge delay; senior year in high school, college preparation an' all that good stuff will eat up all your time...

I forgot to cite this before, but I got the translation of Hiko's quote from the quality RK site, Let It Burn. (URL: ) Great site...

Well, thanks go out to Mango, Kitsune, and Linay-sama; thank you for the reviews! ^^;; You guys are too much... *blushes* 

This one was a bit short, and I apologize for that, but I'm trying to get back into the writing spirit, so yeah... I think I'm going to put out one more interlude before the next installment, hopefully sooner rather than later. *sigh* Well, I'm off!

~ Kess


End file.
